Wednesday, 9 March 2016

Merries Japanese Nappy Review & Giveaway

I was recently asked to review Merries Japanese nappies. We have just mastered potty training at home but still need nappies for naps, at night-time and on outings. Having lived in Japan for a year (a long time ago) I was curious to give these a try. I remember how Japan is so high-tech and convenient. Food and clothes come in pretty little packages and most things are high in quality. Japan is also a country geared towards children and I would love to take my little boy there one day! So, I was very keen to review these nappies. The only reservation I had was the size. I remember Japanese sizes coming up quite small, or at least they did when I was there, My toddler is nearly three and quite big for his age. He is usually a size 5+/6 in UK nappy sizes, the biggest you can buy. However, I didn't need to worry as the fit was perfect.

Merries is the number one nappy brand in Japan! The nappies are known for being super absorbent, highly breathable and ultra soft. The nappies have a colour indicator so you know when they are wet and a top sheet made from microfiber for extra softness. Merries nappies are incredibly soft and accommodate all the activity that toddlers make by having a flexible 'w' shape at the crotch area, great for movement and flexibility.

Front & Back View of Merries Nappies

The ReviewSize: We tried the Merries pull-up nappies (referred as 'diapers panties' on Amazon) in the 12-22kg category, the biggest available size from the brand. The size was absolutely perfect, very snug and comfortable! I said above I was worried about the size coming up too small but there's plenty of room to breath and grow in. My little boy weighs about 17 kg so he's well within the upper weight limit and I'm sure he could wear these pull up nappies much longer if needed.

Softness: I've tried different nappies in the UK including washable nappies, eco-friendly varieties, Pampers, Huggies, Boots, swimming nappies etc and honestly these nappies feel softer than any of the ones I've used previously. The difference is immense. I compared the Merries nappy with a popular UK pull-up brand and there is no comparison in softness, Merries wins hands down! The stretchy band around the waist and legs is particularly soft and really high in quality. It doesn't have that plastic feel that a lot of nappies have and does not feel like a nappy at all, more like a padded pair of cotton pants. My son hasn't had any nappy rash at all since using these nappies.No Leaking: Unlike our normal brand which can still leak out the sides slightly after a night-time poop there were no leakages with the Merries nappies at all. They withheld the poop challenge several times!Stretchy Band: One of the things that stand out with Merries is the stretchy elastic band around the waist and legs. If you stretch a normal UK nappy in this way there is not much elasticity in it and it gives a rustled noise when doing so. Doing this with a Merries nappy produces much less noise, you can pull it out much further and, again, the difference in softness is huge.

Usability: These nappies are super easy to put on. I helped my toddler put these on with either him standing up or lying down and they are exactly like a pair of normal pants because they are so stretchy. My son also got the hang of pulling them up and down by himself to go to the toilet. The nappies have ripping parts at the side so once you have stopped using the nappy you can tear it off at the sides much like a swimming nappy. Another unique feature is that the nappy has a wetness indicator and will turn from yellow to blue when your little one pees, a useful feature if your baby/toddler is unable to communicate this.Fastening on back of nappies: The only thing that was slightly annoying was the little blue sticky fastening at the back (shown in second photo). It took me a while to work out what this was but of course once you've finished with the nappy you wrap it up and pull the sticky strip over to secure it in place and can then put it straight into the bin/nappy bag. The only thing is sometimes when putting my toddler's trousers on over the top the sticky bit would occasionally stick to his trousers instead so you'd have to unpeel it and stick it back in place. This is a very minor issue and has no bearing on the quality or purpose of the nappy at all. This is the only tiny thing I could fault.Price: These particular nappies in the 12-22kg size cost £25 for 38 nappies, which works out as 66p each. In comparison with a UK brand Huggies Pull Ups cost £8.50 for 22 nappies, working out as 39p each. Therefore, the Japanese nappies are more expensive than UK ones but the difference in quality & softness is staggering!Rating: All in all I would definitely recommend the Merries brand to anyone that uses disposal nappies. If I had to vote I'd give them a 9.5/10! These are definitely the most durable, soft and long-standing disposal nappies I've used.

*** MERRIES JAPANESE NAPPY GIVEAWAY ***

I liked these nappies so much that after trying them out I contacted the company and asked if they wanted to include a giveaway in with this review. I'm please they said yes so I'm now giving away a big pack of nappies to a lucky winner who will be able to choose any sized pack from newborn to toddler/pull up age (22kg). Just enter your details below. Good Luck!

The most recent couple of years have seen a blast in British style for baby & children's dressing, and with grant winning outlines and sensible sticker prices, it's anything but difficult to see why. Investigate the childrenswear that is winning the battle against overrated European originators.

Hello! I'm Polly (Brighton Mama) and I write about parenting, lifestyle and adventures with my little three year old son, 'Pip' ❤ We live in the mostly sunny seaside town of Brighton, UK. Read more on my About Page.